"Bender, what the hell are you doing?" Crow called out, his pace increasing. He trailed behind the deserter while twisting and turning through the blocks of New New York City, frequently having near-misses with tourists and city inhabitants.
"I'm gonna go jump off a cliff!" The machine answered determinedly. Bender slowed down his pace, allowing Crow to catch up with him.
"There are no cliffs around here, so where exactly are you going to jump?"
"We're going to the Palisades, baby!" Now in arm's reach, he took Crow's hand with no sign of letting go and entered the Tube Transport System. The runaways traveled upwards and out of the futuristic city, the skyscrapers becoming a blur in every which way.
"We? What do you mean 'we?' " Crow often avoided the TSS as he felt it was unsafe, but was comforted by Bender's grip. "And why did you call me 'baby?'" He added on, albeit quietly, his curly hair blowing in his face.
"Heard that!" Bender snickered.
"Still doesn't answer my question."
"I call everyone 'baby.' You're just too busy at work listening to your Pink Floyds and King Crimsons to pay attention." The robot teased.
"Well, this is the first time I'm hearing it be directed towards me!"
"You got a problem with that?"
"...No, not really." Crow's face reddened.
"Thought so."
Crow observed the scenery underneath the clear tube, somewhat able to decipher what they were passing through. "I think we're coming up to the Palisades. We're by Nyack."
"Wow, you actually know where we're going!" Bender chuffed. "I thought you were 'scared' of the TTS."
"I still am, jackass." He commented in a deadpan manner. "Some of my earliest memories I have are when I lived in this area of New New York. I read in a history book that in the late 20th and 21st century, there was a huge shopping mall in the area that was built atop a landfill! It even had a huge store where you could build your own robot."
Bender's eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Yeah, right." He said, unconvinced.
"Well, they were toy robots. Obviously I should've been more specific. Look—there's our exit!" Crow pointed to the opening of the TTS. "You don't think we'll land head first?"
"Nah, the TTS is an incredibly reliable—"
Bender fell face-first onto the ground with a loud clang, followed by the critter landing atop of him with a thud, the side of his face pressed against the bending unit's frigid, metallic exterior.
"...form of transportation." Bender cringed uncomfortably.
"I… should've let go of your hand before we landed. I'm sorry." Crow murmured, guilt-ridden. He lifted himself and saw he had little to no scratches. "You're pointier than I thought, too." The lemming peered at his surroundings and figured out that he and Bender were on a hiking trail.
"Don't feel bad about it." Bender brushed off, using his arms to pick himself off the ground. The foundation on the ground was slightly cracked where he landed, though his body was unscathed. If anything, I should've been the one to let go, Bender quickly thought, bewildered by his own actions. "But I think it's important to tell you that you landed right on my ass."
A loud yelp bored out of Crow's throat, quickly cutting it off by concealing his face with his mitts. The high-rolling Planet Express employee ensued his walk up a rocky, dirt path to the top of the miraculously preserved cliff. "Watch out, fur bag. I've got a job to do."
"Are you crazy? Do you know how high up the Palisades are?"
"Two hundred to five hundred feet depending on what side you're on." Bender bragged proudly. "This cliff's around two-hundred-fifty."
"You'll get seriously hurt!"
"I'm sure your brethren survived when they did it." Bender jeered, placing his hands behind his back, intertwining his fingers. "And I'm certain a measly, little robot like me can take it!" He goaded in a sing-song voice, puckishly digging his left foot in the dirt, moving his leg side to side, and swaying his body back and forth.
The lemming's face squinched in annoyance, a low growl rising. "Fine! Have it your way." He threw his hands in the air while turning himself around, walking away from Bender. He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled after holding it in for a few seconds. After hearing the robot run up the trail, giggling diabolically, his irritation transitioned into fear. Panicked, Crow looked at the path that led to the base of the cliff, and the one that led to the top. What would be the best path to take? He wondered to himself, his inner monologue drowning out the sound of his feet compulsively tapping the floor. Think, Crow, think! There has to be a chance where if Bender does fall, he'll be okay. He recalled the words of Professor Farnsworth before their departure for a delivery.
"The land on this planet is very unstable and can break any second, which is why I gave you all parachutes in case you need to break your fall! Use them wisely, as they are the only parachutes I ordered."
"That's it!" Crow snapped his fingers. "Bender should still have the parachute in his chest compartment. I just need to get there on time to tell him so he won't hurt himself! There's still ti—"
"Looky here, pansy!" Bender called out cockily, interrupting the lemming's game plan. He was at the top of the cliff. "I told you so."
Son of a bitch. "Bender, wait until I get down there!" He cupped his hands over his mouth, amplifying his voice. "Don't jump!" He zipped down the path to the basin of the cliffs, monitoring Bender through the open spots of light between the leafy trees.
"What did you say?" His voice echoed condescendingly. "'Do jump?'"
"Don't play these games with me, Bender!" The lemming progressively lost his breath from running. "Do—not—jump!" He gasped for air. The stubborn robot looked down the towering cliff, the basin consisting of stones and more dirt. Beyond the cliff, the skyline of New New York City began to glow as the sun was at its beginning of setting. Crow, still running, witnessed Bender turn around, walking away from the edge of the cliff. Yes! While lemming got closer and closer to the bottom of the rock face, a foreboding silence fell through the thickened air, the wind imperceptibly swaying the tree branches. The sharp noise of metal clanging on rock pierced the lemming's heart with unfamiliar despair. "Why didn't I think about the possibility of him getting a running start?" Crow groaned, facepalming. "Bender!" He yelled with all the energy he could muster. "Check your—" Bender fell so quickly from the cliff that he couldn't even see him. His sentence was cut off by the sound of metal colliding with the ground, scattering in all directions, reverberating throughout the sky. Nausea rising in his stomach, Crow's knees buckled and he collapsed into a fetal position. The Planet Express employee was petrified to look at the remains of Bender, unable to scream in anguish.